ADVANCED HEALING TECHNIQUES

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2 ADVANCED HEALING TECHNIQUES For Bodyworkers By Raphael Rettner D.C. Version 1.00 May, 2009 Limits of Liability & Disclaimer of Warranty The author and publisher of this e-book and the associated materials have used their best efforts in preparing this material. The author and publisher make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this material. They disclaim any warranties expressed or implied, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable for any loss or other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. If you have any doubts about anything, the advice of a competent professional should be sought. This material contains elements protected under International and Federal Copyright laws and treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 2

About the Author Dr. Raphael Rettner is a Palmer College of Chiropractic West graduate and has been in practice since 1982. Dr. Rettner is one of the most highly skilled and respected chiropractors in the United States.

3 About the Author Dr. Raphael Rettner is a Palmer College of Chiropractic West graduate and has been in practice since Dr. Rettner is one of the most highly skilled and respected chiropractors in the United States. He has made numerous radio and T.V. appearances, is the author of Vegetarian Cooking for People with Allergies and has produced several DVDs including: End P.M.S Now!, The Ultimate Diet, and Twelve Causes of an Unstable Spine. He has studied both force and non-force techniques such as Advanced Biostructural Correction, Applied Kinesiology, Biophysics, Gonstead, S.O.T. and over a dozen others. With a combination of creative thinking and an insatiable quest for knowledge, Dr. Rettner has developed several new and exciting chiropractic techniques. Since 1994 he has taught these in his Applied Trigger Points seminar to chiropractors all across the United States, Australia, Canada and England. You can reach Raphael at drrettner@sbcglobal.net Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 3

4 Table of Contents Introduction... 5 Chapter 1: Quick Scan of the Back... 6 Chapter 2: Erector Spinae Z and Iron Chapter 3: Sports Massage: Chapter 4: Jin Shin on the Spine Chapter 5: Stick Shift: Chapter 6: Scapula Rotation Chapter 7: Sitting Rock: Chapter 8: Polarity Toe Stretch: Chapter 9: Non-Force & Reverse Foot Reflexology Chapter 10: Figure-8 on the Bones of the Feet Chapter 11: Knee Circles: Chapter 12: Lumbar Stair-Step & Figure 8: Chapter 13: Non-Force Diaphragm Release Chapter 14: The North Pole Stretch: Chapter 15: Ear Balancing Chapter 16: Cranial Hold for Whiplash: Chapter 17: Cranial Relaxation Holds: Chapter 18: Triple Crown Hold: Conclusion: Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 4

5 Introduction Advanced Healing Techniques is a collection of gentle moves for the experienced massage therapist, body worker or chiropractor. They have been collected and modified from various disciplines including: chiropractic, cranial osteopathy, orthobionomy and polarity therapy and are useful for sports injuries, whiplash, headache and lower back pain. The techniques presented here can form a treatment in itself or may be added individually to your repertoire of healing skills. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 5

I will be teaching her the moves as well as having her demonstrate and learn them. Quick Scan of the Back step by step: Dr.

6 Chapter 1: Quick Scan of the Back We ll start this DVD with a quick scan of the back which helps to determine where the trigger points are and the tight muscles of the back are located. This is Amber who is a massage therapist. I will be teaching her the moves as well as having her demonstrate and learn them. Quick Scan of the Back step by step: Dr. Rettner:We start at the suboccipital muscles, palpating for trigger points. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 6

Then come down the extensor muscles of the neck.

Then come down the erector spinae muscles,

Then come back down the erector spinae Then come

In the piriformis muscle, there is another

Rettner: It s due to stress and strain, both physical and emotional or it can be due to nutritional deficiencies of vitamin B-12 or folic

10 Then you go the outside of the leg and the inside of the leg. Amber: Now how exactly do you know there is a trigger point there? A trigger point is a knot in the muscle. Amber: What exactly causes that? Dr. Rettner: It s due to stress and strain, both physical and emotional or it can be due to nutritional deficiencies of vitamin B-12 or folic acid. If it is in the belly of the muscle, it is a B-12 deficiency. In practice, it can be done very quickly. The entire scan only takes about 30 seconds. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 10

11 Chapter 2: Erector Spinae Z and Iron Dr. Rettner: This next move is the Erector Spinae, Z and iron. You iron out the tension. First you move up the spine and what we are doing is using opposing thumbs, one going up, the other down. Amber: And exerting a fair amount of pressure it looks like. Dr. Rettner: Yes, and it s a stretch here too. Amber: So you are not actually working on the spine, you are working more right into the muscle? Dr. Rettner: Yes, right in the erector spinae muscles. Let s say you find a tight spot, you can really work out the tight spots. Then you work down the spine. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 11

Then you take your knuckles and iron out the tension.

13 Chapter 3: Sports Massage: Origin and Insertion: Dr. Rettner: The next move is sports massage, very useful for working with sports injuries. Let s say that we re working with this muscle here, first you do origin and insertion work. You rub quite vigorously on the origin and the insertion of the muscle. You can find out where these are in an anatomy book. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 13

Then come into the midline and into the belly and again pull away, in a poking and rolling motion.

14 Then you do a poking and rolling motion in the golgi tendon organs. Pull away from the midline, while you are doing that. Then come into the midline and into the belly and again pull away, in a poking and rolling motion. Would you like to try that? Amber: Sure. It s basically pulling. Dr. Rettner: Pulling away, right, just like that, pull. Amber: Oh, I see it. Okay. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 14

15 Transverse Frictional Massage: Dr. Rettner: The next aspect has to do with transverse frictional massage. Palpate the muscle, find a tight area, grasp it and then like a karate chop with your hand, rub it very deeply and vigorously. Now, does that hurt at all right here? Janet (patient): No. Dr. Rettner: How about there? It should hurt a little bit. Janet: A little bit, yeah. Dr. Rettner: Rub the hurt area until the pain goes away, until it s numb in there. Amber: About how long does that take? Is there a length of time? Dr. Rettner: It could take about up to ten minutes. Amber: Really? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 15

Dr. Rettner: You need to spend some time with it. This is for injuries, it s not your typical massage. Amber: It s basically a sawing motion? Dr. Rettner: Yes, good, you ve got it.

16 Dr. Rettner: You need to spend some time with it. This is for injuries, it s not your typical massage. Amber: It s basically a sawing motion? Dr. Rettner: Yes, good, you ve got it. Amber: Pretty warm too. Trigger Points: Dr. Rettner: Then we palpate for trigger points. There s one right here. Reinforce your finger. This crease in the thumb gets reinforced with the next finger. Find a trigger point. Take a deep breath in. When you inhale, you contact it, now let it out. When she exhales. The first exhale I go in half way. Now take a deep breath in again, then I let up half the distance that I went in. Now take another exhale. Now I m going all the way to bone, very deep. We hold that for 7-10 seconds until you feel a release of tension. Amber: You just hold it, you don t move around? Dr. Rettner: You don t move at all, just hold the point there. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 16

17 Soft Tissue Fixation Mobilization: Dr. Rettner: Then we have the next aspect which is soft tissue fixation mobilization. First we check the motion of the muscle, checking horizontally, vertically, it doesn t move well in this direction towards the head. When we find a direction that doesn t move well, we stabilize and thrust into the muscle. It s a chiropractic adjustment of the muscle. Thrust about six times and then you can move to the next section. Then we recheck and it s much smoother. Would you like to try that? Thrusting like that. Amber: It s a great way to move on it. About that same pressure too? Dr. Rettner: Yes, good, you got it. Amber: Then you move up a little bit and do same thing, about 6 strokes. Dr. Rettner: The six is just a ballpark figure, you want to do it until you feel it release. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 17

E. Fascial Stretch: Dr. Rettner: Then the last aspect is fascial stretch. Just go beneath the skin, not quite to muscle and check the motion. It s restricted right here.

18 E. Fascial Stretch: Dr. Rettner: Then the last aspect is fascial stretch. Just go beneath the skin, not quite to muscle and check the motion. It s restricted right here. We can go in and stretch, and again stretch. Doing each area three times is a good way to release it. Come over and try that. Amber: So basically just stretching it down. Is that pressure about the same? Dr. Rettner: You hold deep and stretch. That s good. Okay, you are doing well. Amber: I like that. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 18

19 Chapter 4: Jin Shin on the Spine Dr. Rettner: This next move is from Jin Shin. It helps to relax the spine and helps someone go to sleep. You place the fingers in between the spinous processes, these little depressions in the bone, right on the spine and you rock three or four times, hold it. You are gently touching the spine and again rock. As soon as it pulses, then you can move down to the next area. Rock, hold and rock and hold. Amber: You start at the top and work down. Dr. Rettner: Yes, you start at the top of the spine and work down to the bottom. Amber: Great, good move. Dr. Rettner: It s very soothing. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 19

20 Chapter 5: Stick Shift: Dr. Rettner: This next move is called the stick shift release and its from orthobionomy. It s great for releasing any trigger point from the crease in the knee all the way up to about T2 in the spine. So, just find a trigger point, I have one right here, place your middle finger on it and then grab onto the ankle and rotate the leg around in a circle until you find a position, oh, there is one right there. It s started to soften and pulse under my finger. You have to tune in to the energy under your finger. You re just holding it like you would touch an eyeball, not much more pressure than that. You have to move slowly enough so you ll feel the pulsing and the release of the tension. Amber: So you hold that point and hold right at the precise point that you had felt it? Dr. Rettner: Right. Would you like to try that? Amber: Sure, that s a great move. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 20

21 Dr. Rettner: Here is another trigger point. Middle finger right there and just rotate around like that. Nice and slowly, and notice what s under your finger on the body and if it starts to pulse, that s where you hold it. You feel it? Amber: Yes. Dr. Rettner: Now we ll just melt it and there is no pain involved in this at all. So instead of a trigger point having to hurt, it s a very gentle release. Amber: So, since you are already feeling the pulsation, what exactly do you do, do you just hold it? Dr. Rettner: You hold it until it softens. Amber: That s a great move. Dr. Rettner: First you feel tension, then you feel it release. Amber: As opposed to digging into that trigger point. Dr. Rettner: This can also help the lumbar vertebrae move back into place because bones are moved by muscles. Amber: Good point. Dr. Rettner: It s great for people who have low back injury as well. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 21

Chapter 6: Scapula Rotation Dr. Rettner: I demonstrated the scapula rotation move from polarity therapy. The rhomboid muscle, which I worked with, is a muscle of respiration.

22 Chapter 6: Scapula Rotation Dr. Rettner: I demonstrated the scapula rotation move from polarity therapy. The rhomboid muscle, which I worked with, is a muscle of respiration. Once it s freed up, the patient will be able to breathe more freely. I asked the patient to place her hand behind her back. The doctor takes his fingers and puts them up into the shoulder blade and rotates, lifting up, back and down. up. Feel for tension and wait until it releases, come up to the next area and lift up, back and down. Amber: You re exerting a fairly deep pressure in there? Dr. Rettner: Yes, would you like to try that? Amber: Sure. So it s up, back and down. Dr. Rettner: Put your fingers in that way. Up, back and down. Up towards the head, back towards you and then down. Feel that? Amber: Yes. Dr. Rettner: You can feel the tension there? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 22

23 Amber: Yes. Dr. Rettner: Good. Amber: So you are not really holding the point, you are just moving the shoulder around it? Dr. Rettner: Yes and that helps you free up the tension a little bit more. You can get in there deep and you are using the movement of the shoulder to free up the tension better. When you get up to the upper quarter of the scapula, you ll want to use your thumb. Reinforce your thumb, placing the next finger right at the crease in the thumb. Again, up, back and down. Everybody loves this because everyone has a lot of tension in this area. It never gets touched. It s a real important move to do. Amber: It s a nice way of getting really deep under the scapula too? Dr. Rettner: Yes. So we want to cover from the bottom of the scapula all the way to the top. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 23

Chapter 7: Sitting Rock: Dr. Rettner: This move is called the sitting rock. It is from orthobionomy. This is a very nurturing thing to do for your patient or client.

24 Chapter 7: Sitting Rock: Dr. Rettner: This move is called the sitting rock. It is from orthobionomy. This is a very nurturing thing to do for your patient or client. It stretches the muscles in the back, all the way from the upper thoracics down to the lumbar spine. You sit in the opposite direction of your patient, bring your arm around and touch the shoulder and then put your head in my shoulder like that and then take the heel of your hand and turn away from you and stretch. Go all the way from the top of the spine down to the bottom. Amber: Are you using a lot of pressure in there? Dr. Rettner: Just a light stretch is all we are doing, not much pressure. We are not on the spine, we are over to the side of it. Amber: Are you using the palm of your hand? Dr. Rettner: It s right over this bottom part of the palm. Amber: You go down and then come back up the spine? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 24

25 Dr. Rettner: Yes. Would you like to try that? Amber: Sure. How does it feel? It looks like it feels wonderful. Dr. Rettner: Place your arm around this way, then you want to use this part of your hand and put it right in the muscles of the spine, the erector spinae muscles. Amber: Okay, then you just pulling her back from this side? Dr. Rettner: Yes, start all the way on top, then twist, stretch, come down a little bit, twist and stretch. That s good, you got it. Go all the way down to the 5th lumbar. Amber: Is it common to get adjustments out of the back when you re doing this? Dr. Rettner: You might get one, yes. This is how we adjust pregnant women. Amber: Oh, good move. Dr. Rettner: That s not the goal of this though. It s more of a stretch of the muscles. It s a very nice stretch. Very loving, nurturing stretch. A wonderful thing to do for your patient. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 25

26 Chapter 8: Polarity Toe Stretch: Dr. Rettner: This move is called the polarity toe stretch. I asked the patient to bend her knees. In Polarity Therapy each toe represents a different energy element and emotion. : Element Phalanx Emotion The earth element for the small (5th) toe. Fear The water element for the next (4th) toe. Sadness The fire element for the middle (3rd) toe. Anger The air element for the (2nd) toe. Nervousness The ether (1st) toe. Grief They represent different emotions as well. The earth (5th) toe has to do with fear. The water (4th) toe has to do with sadness, the fire (3rd) toe-anger and a nervousness with the air (2nd) toe. The ether (1st) toe represents all the chakras. To find out which element was out of balance, I had the patient hold their arm up and then I touched all four toes at once, except for the big toe. I tested the arm again and it appeared weak. Then I knew that one of the elements was out of balance. Then I tested one toe at a time; earth toe, water toe. The arm appeared weak touching the water toe. Fire was strong, air, ether and air were strong. I then tested the other side, and they were all strong, so there was no imbalance. I found an imbalance in the water toe. Then I tested each digit. The distal digit is the chest, the Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 26

middle digit the pelvis and the proximal digit the feet. I found an imbalance in the pelvis. I wanted to find out which way to make the energy flow, so I brushed the energy up and tested the arm.

27 middle digit the pelvis and the proximal digit the feet. I found an imbalance in the pelvis. I wanted to find out which way to make the energy flow, so I brushed the energy up and tested the arm. It was strong. then I brushed it down and tested the arm and it went weak. That meant that I want to bring the energy from the toe up towards the head. Then I asked the patient to bring her feet down. Next I did the pull move, where I grasped between my thumb and the next finger and did a little bit of a pull there. Then I gradually plantar flexed or brought the toe towards the bottom of the foot. I told the patient Janet to breathe into her pelvis. I told her to breathe in and out. When she breathed out I pushed down towards the bottom of her foot, a very slight amount. When she breathed in, I lifted up just a little bit. When she breathed out again, I went down just a little more. I asked her to breathe in and out. Then the energy started to move. There was a tingling in my finger, that meant I could move the energy up. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 27

Since the polarity element of water has to do with chest, pelvis and feet, next I wanted to work with the foot. I waited until there was a tingling there, then I went up to the pelvis.

28 Since the polarity element of water has to do with chest, pelvis and feet, next I wanted to work with the foot. I waited until there was a tingling there, then I went up to the pelvis. There s a vertical line from the water toe up to the chest. Amber: And you could actually feel a tingling in the foot? Dr. Rettner: Yes, the energy moved all the way up to the pelvis. What I did was to rock it about six times, pause, rock it again about six times and pause until I felt the energy move. It was a tingling kind of like electricity. There was a point on the chest, and again I moved the energy up. Amber: Were you applying a lot of pressure or gentle? Dr. Rettner: It was a general rocking kind of pressure. It s called rajasic. There are three types of touch in polarity, rajasic is this moving touch, and there is a light barely touching which is satvic And then tamasic is the deep touch. The type of touch I was using was rajasic. Then I used satvic, which is barely touching. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 28

29 And then I placed the fingers above the head and sent the energy to the crown. One finger was above the coronal suture, which goes across the top of the head, the other was below it. That balanced it out. There was a nice pulse, so I was all done. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 29

30 Chapter 9: Non-Force & Reverse Foot Reflexology Dr. Rettner: Next I introduced nonforce and reverse foot reflexology. Nonforce foot reflexology has to do with torquing the patient s foot in a position that allows it to release without using pain. Reverse foot reflexology allows you to treat the body and get rid of the pain that s on the reflex points on the foot. So first I found a reflex point on the patient s foot, and it was a little tight. I asked the patient Is that tender right there? Janet: She replied Yes. Dr. Rettner: I took the foot and torqued it lateral, medial and saw where it softened and then brought it down and up, and found the perfect position, the perfect combination. You have four different options: medial, lateral, up, down and I found the combination of the two, it was just like cracking a safe, find the perfect combination. Amber: And they re going to feel it softening as it releases? Dr. Rettner: Yes, and it s pulsing too. Once it softens, you will feel a nice even pulse and then it will completely soften. Amber: And you are not using very much pressure at all? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 30

31 Dr. Rettner: No, just as much as you would put on an eyeball. Is it still tender there or is that better? Janet: Better. Dr. Rettner: With reverse reflexology what I did was muscle test and found a point around the solar plexus reflex on the bottom of the foot. I asked the patient to touch that point and then tested her arm. Then I found out where the arm went strong, somewhere in the solar plexus region. Then the arm tested strong, so that point canceled out the point on the foot. I found the body part related to the foot. Then I worked with the intestines and lifted up the trapezius and pulled up and it released. Amber: What does the lifting up of the trapezius do? Dr. Rettner: It releases tension anywhere in the abdomen, any indigestion or pain. You can do this to the area. There it s starting to release, and it s gone. Then I retested the foot. That was reverse reflexology. By fixing the body I fixed the foot, instead of working with the foot and fixing the body. Amber:... and relatively pain free. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 31

32 Chapter 10: Figure-8 on the Bones of the Feet Dr. Rettner: This next move that I demonstrated was a figure eight movement on the bones of the foot. This helps to adjust the bones of the foot and it s great after spraining an ankle or spraining one of the bones in the foot. First you cup the heel of the foot in your hand, then place your thumb in the bottom of the foot in the arch. Then place your fingers on top of the foot and make a sideward figure of eight. Go down, up, medial and lateral. Would you like to try that? Amber: Sure. Dr. Rettner: Okay, come around here. Amber: Are you exerting any pressure on that point? Dr. Rettner: No, not much. Let me move your hands with that. Amber: Down, across, over, up. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 32

33 Dr. Rettner: You want to take it through the full range of motion. Amber: I didn t really feel any releases. Do your normally feel a release? Dr. Rettner: If something was sprained, you mighty feel a release. If there s a little kink in there, it takes the kinks out. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 33

34 Chapter 11: Knee Circles: Dr. Rettner: Next I demonstrated a way of moving the knee that releases it and it s from osteopathy. First you place the patient s ankle in your armpit or axilla, then take the thumbs and put them on the medial and lateral meniscus. You want to hold pretty tight and make a circle. If there are any kinks in the knee, this will take them out. I felt a little bit of resistance in there. I asked Amber to come around and try that to see if she could feel the resistance. I told her to place her thumbs right on the medial and lateral meniscus, to hold pretty tight and then make a circle. I asked her Do you feel the little kink in there? Make the circle until the kink leaves. This is really good for runners or people with knee problems. It s very gentle and doesn t hurt anybody at all. The main thing you want to do is make sure that your grip is firm enough; otherwise it won t work. Amber: So it s just basically just moving in a circle? Dr. Rettner: Yes and I think there is less resistance there now. Do you feel that lightening up? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 34

Chapter 12: Lumbar Stair-Step & Figure 8: Dr. Rettner: Next I demonstrated the lumbar stair step and figure eight. I asked the patient to bend her knees.

35 Chapter 12: Lumbar Stair-Step & Figure 8: Dr. Rettner: Next I demonstrated the lumbar stair step and figure eight. I asked the patient to bend her knees. Each segment of the stair step is a different part of the lumbar spine, and the sacrum as well. Right here s the sacrum, L5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I felt a little catch at L5. Let s go up again, sacrum, L5 and then you grab on top of the knees and make a sideward figure eight. Amber: Now is that actually causing an adjustment in the spine or is it working mostly with the muscles around it? Dr. Rettner: It is more working with the spine. It s very good for people that have recently injured themselves. You can go very gently. It s much more gentle than a chiropractic adjustment. It can prepare for a chiropractic adjustment as well. And then we can see which side has more restriction. I feel it more on this side, so we just do a circle on this side, right in that area. How does that feel? Janet: It feels like it s loosening up. Dr. Rettner: Good, would you like to try that? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 35

36 Amber: Sure. Dr. Rettner: Come around here and just lift up and I will bring you through it. Okay, sacrum, L5, 4, 3,2, 1. Lets show you where that catches here. Sacrum, L5, right here, okay, then we take it in a figure eight like that. Amber: You re trying to stay in that same position where you found the catch. Dr. Rettner: Yes, right there is the catch and just take it through the circle on that side, working it out, that s good. Nice release. We got it. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 36

Chapter 13: Non-Force Diaphragm Release Dr. Rettner: Next I demonstrated the use of the principles of orthobionomy working with the diaphragm. Working with orthobionomy, you don t use much force.

37 Chapter 13: Non-Force Diaphragm Release Dr. Rettner: Next I demonstrated the use of the principles of orthobionomy working with the diaphragm. Working with orthobionomy, you don t use much force. You just put it in the position that allows the body part to release. I palpated first. It was a little tight in the diaphragm. I told the patient to take a deep breath, as deep as she could and to notice how it felt. I told her I m going to ask you to do that a little bit later too, okay? And right here it s really tight. Hold onto the ribcage, come all the way underneath and lift up as high as you possibly can with the ribcage, but be gentle. Then slowly lower it as you push into the diaphragm and then feel again for a pulse. What you want to do is allow the ribcage to fall to the point where the tension in the diaphragm starts to release. Then you can gradually lower it. There will be one position where the most release will occur. Amber: Okay. You re actually not really bearing down into it, you re just settled into it? Dr. Rettner: You are just touching it, like you touch an eyeball. Very gentle, there we go. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 37

38 It just released, good. I will palpate again, much softer in there. Would you like to try this part here? Amber: Sure. I liked that because it is very gentle, especially in the solar plexus area. So you re just actually getting to that opposite end of the rib cage under here? Dr. Rettner: Yes, you lift up and using about as much force as I have on your hands, slowly go down and right there, it s pulsing feel that? That s where you hold it. Amber: About how long? Dr. Rettner: A few seconds and when it stops pulsing you can go down a little further. You can go to deeper and deeper levels of tension to release it. It s releasing more, more pulsing, a little more, a little lower and now let it drop all the way. Take your hands away. The I asked Janet Now take a deep breath in as deep as you can. Different? Janet: Oh, much bigger. I have much bigger breath. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 38

39 Chapter 14: The North Pole Stretch: Dr. Rettner: Next, I showed the North Pole stretch from polarity therapy. It s an excellent neck stretch. First you lift the skull by placing one hand on one shoulder, the other hand on the other shoulder. Ask the patient to take a deep breath in. Use your arms to lift up the head. Ask the patient to breathe out and lift up as high as you can go without causing any strain on the patient s neck. Then gradually come down and hold the head so it doesn t fall. Then hold the neck so it doesn t fall. Amber: Good stretch. I bet that felt good. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 39

Chapter 15: Ear Balancing Dr. Rettner: This move is called ear balancing. It s also from orthobionomy and helps to relax jaw tension and tension around the ear.

40 Chapter 15: Ear Balancing Dr. Rettner: This move is called ear balancing. It s also from orthobionomy and helps to relax jaw tension and tension around the ear. First I worked with the vertical dimension and lifted each side. It s like a see-saw. I saw which ear had the least amount of tension and then held it in that position and waited until I got a pulse. It s pulsing very nicely. That s enough in that direction. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 40

Then I tried the vertical direction. I lifted underneath the ear, pushed up, and allowed it to go down, and finally we felt it relax in a specific position and held it there. I Felt for the pulse.

41 Then I tried the vertical direction. I lifted underneath the ear, pushed up, and allowed it to go down, and finally we felt it relax in a specific position and held it there. I Felt for the pulse. Amber: So about how long? You only held it for about three to four seconds? And pressurewise, just gentle? Dr. Rettner: Come over and feel it. You lift up and down, and then you hold it in that position there. Feel the pulse? Amber: Yes. That seems like it would be really good for somebody that s had jaw work or teeth work done and had their jaw open all day. Dr. Rettner: Yes. Somebody who is tense and always clenching their jaw. Amber: A lot of TMJ involvement, definitely. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 41

42 Chapter 16: Cranial Hold for Whiplash: Dr. Rettner: The cranial hold for whiplash is very useful for a patient that just was in a car accident. It helps to release very deep layers of tension that they might have. We are going to be working with the occipital region, at the bottom of the skull and the top of the neck. Place your fingers, spread apart evenly, on both sides. Then allow the patient s weight of their head to fall into your fingers. Take each finger and feel for tension. For example, right now I m feeling the most tension on one spot. I m going to apply just a little more pressure on that spot, than the rest of the skull. Amber: Is that painful? Janet: No, it feels great. Dr. Rettner: And now I am feeling the release. There is a pulse there and then I go to the next most tense area. There s another one, another one and my fingers are melting into the muscles of her upper neck, suboccipital muscles. Amber: So, you are working right along the ridge of the occipitals? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 42

Dr. Rettner: Yes, just slight pressure like you are touching an eyeball. Amber: And you re holding it again just to you feel the pulsations of the release? Dr.

43 Dr. Rettner: Yes, just slight pressure like you are touching an eyeball. Amber: And you re holding it again just to you feel the pulsations of the release? Dr. Rettner: Yes, until the whole neck relaxes. What it looks like underneath is like this: apply one finger, then another one. It s just a light touch. Dr. Rettner: Would you like to try that? Amber: Sure. Dr. Rettner: Curl your fingers under the suboccipital muscles and find a tight spot. Apply just a little pressure on it, a little more than the other ones. The majority of your fingers are supporting the head and this one is applying slight pressure. Amber: Is that about the same pressure he used? Dr. Rettner: Feel it release? Good. Keep going until you touch bone. Keep going through layer and layer of muscle tension and then finally you re at the bone. Then you know you re done. You like that? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 43

Chapter 17: Cranial Relaxation Holds: Dr. Rettner: Next I did a series of cranial relaxation holds that are excellent for ending a massage with. First we go under the supraorbital ridge.

44 Chapter 17: Cranial Relaxation Holds: Dr. Rettner: Next I did a series of cranial relaxation holds that are excellent for ending a massage with. First we go under the supraorbital ridge. Do a gentle tugging, a very soft touch. Tug towards your body. Amber: By tugging, you mean just sort of gently pulling up? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 44

Are you feeling for anything or is it basically just to relax? Dr.

45 Dr. Rettner: Yes. Then you go under the cheek bones. Then go under the mandible. You can hold these for longer than what I am doing. Amber: Okay. Are you feeling for anything or is it basically just to relax? Dr. Rettner: You are feeling for a pulse and a relaxation. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 45

Amber: Are you holding these for any specific length of time? Dr. Rettner: Just until you feel a pulsing and a tension release. Amber: Are you really applying any pressure? Dr. Rettner: No, very light.

46 Amber: Are you holding these for any specific length of time? Dr. Rettner: Just until you feel a pulsing and a tension release. Amber: Are you really applying any pressure? Dr. Rettner: No, very light. Then we go to the sphenoid bone. Amber: That s your little ridge in here? Dr. Rettner: Yes, it s just to the side of the eye and the frontal bone. Just lift up. Amber: These are good headache points. Dr. Rettner: You can place the thumbs at the top of the skull as well. It gives a little more traction. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 46

47 Then you can go under the occiput, tugging up towards you. Amber: You re holding right on either side of the cervical column itself? Dr. Rettner: Yes. Amber: Right in the ridge? Dr. Rettner: The occipital ridge. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 47

48 Then we go to the mastoid process. Mast means breast, oid is like. It s just behind the ear. The mastoid process of the temporal bone. This is an extremely powerful point that can put the angriest man to sleep in a few minutes. Just keep holding that, it s very relaxing. Amber: I imagine these would all be good for headaches too. Dr. Rettner: They do help with many headaches. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 48

49 We are going to close with the spider move. Place your thumbs at the at the bregma on top of the skull. The second finger goes in the sphenoid, the 3rd in the TMJ or jaw joint, the 4 th on the mastoid and the 5 th on the occiput and tug up gently and hold. Amber: That looks like you are using just a little bit more pressure in here. Well, it s pretty even, but there s just a little bit there. If the patient has some bad energy, it helps to have your body off to the side, rather than directly behind them. Otherwise you can absorb all their energy. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 49

50 Chapter 18: Triple Crown Hold: Dr. Rettner: The next move I showed is a good ending for any massage. It s a triple crown hold that balances the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, that I learned at a Lazaris seminar. First you place the thumbs at the bregma, which is the soft spot on the baby s head, then you place the next finger at the sphenoid on both sides and again you tug up and hold that until you feel all three pulses balanced. The pulse that we are feeling is called the cranial rhythmic impulse. It s different from the radial pulse that you feel at the wrist. They are not quite balanced yet, would you like to try that? Amber: Sure. Dr. Rettner: Place the thumbs beside each other on the bregma, then take the second finger of each hand place them on each sphenoid and then tug back, just slightly toward you. Do it very gently, just like you are touching an eye, just like that. Amber: How s that pressure as compared to his? Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 50

51 Janet: Good. Dr. Rettner: Do you feel the pulses? Amber: Not yet, oh there we go. Wow! Dr. Rettner: One might be stronger than another. Wait until they re balanced. It s a very powerful relaxation technique. How are you doing? Janet: I m balanced. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 51

52 Conclusion: Dr. Rettner: In this DVD, we ve shown a variety of techniques from a whole range of different disciplines. I hope these general release techniques will help you and your patients achieve a happier, healthier lifestyle. Thank you. Copyright 2009 Raphael Rettner D.C. All Rights Reserved. Page 52

Version 1.00 May, 2009

By Raphael Rettner D.C. Version 1.00 May, 2009 Limits of Liability & Disclaimer of Warranty The author and publisher of this e-book and the associated materials have used their best efforts in preparing